The Common Egg Eater Snake is a species of non-venomous snake that is native to Africa and may also be found in parts of the Middle East.
As their name suggests, this species of snake feeds exclusively on eggs. They have evolved perfectly to feed on these eggs.
This snake goes by a number of other names including the Rhombic Egg Eater and the African Egg Eating Snake.
Egg Eater Snake Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Egg Eater Snake belongs to the Colubridae or Colubrid family of snakes. This is the largest family of Snakes in the world consisting of many popular species such as Corn Snakes and Pine Snakes.
With around 250 different genera of Colubrids, these snakes can be found on every continent except Antarctica which also makes them the most widely distributed family of snake in the world.
The vast majority of Colubrid snakes are non-venomous, or at least contain a venom that isn’t considered to be medically significant to humans.
However, there are a number of species of Colubrid snakes that contain venom capable of killing humans. This includes species from the Boiga and Rhabdophis genera as well as other snakes such as the Boomslang.
Genus
The genus that the Egg Eater Snake belongs to is called Dasypeltis. This genus contains 17 species of snake that are native to Africa and the Middle East.
It is one of only two genera of snakes that have adapted to feed exclusively on eggs. The other genus is called Elachistodon.
Other species in this genus include the Montane Egg Eating Snake and the Central African Egg Eating Snake.
Species
The scientific name for the Egg Eater Snake is Dasypeltis scabra. This species contains two recognised sub-species.
The nominate species has the scientific name Dasypeltis scabra scabra while the other sub-species is called Dasypeltis scabra loveridgei.
Egg Eater Snake Description
The Egg Eater Snake is a relatively small sized snake that typically grows to around 3 feet in length. However, they can get slightly bigger.
They have a light brown to grey background color. This is overlaid with darker brown spots or blotches that run along the snakes back.
The belly of the snake is yellowish or white in color. Sometimes it contains black spots but other specimens will have a uniform-colored belly.
They have a distinct V-shaped marking on the back of their head and they have almost no teeth in their mouth.
They have a small head which isn’t very distinct and doesn’t protrude out from the neck like you would see with other snakes such as vipers.
This species is killed in the wild as it often gets confused with other venomous snakes such as the Saw-Scaled Viper and the Rhombic Night Adder.
They have keeled scales which is a little bit rough to feel. They often use this as a defensive mechanism by rubbing the scales together to create a loud hissing sound.
The African Egg Eating Snake has adapted perfectly to eating eggs. They have small, parallel ridges that are very similar to human fingerprints in the lining of their mouth that helps grip the shell of an egg.
They also have a projection on their vertebrae which punctures the egg as it is being swallowed. The contents of the egg are then swallowed while the shell is regurgitated.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Egg Eater Snake can be dound throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa. There are also reports that this species can be found in parts of the Middle East in places such as Saudi Arabia.
However, we have been unable to get any reliable sources of this snake in the Middle East so while it may be found there, it might also be a closely related species of Egg Eating snake in the Middle East.
The African Egg Eating Snake can be found throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa but they are not found in the Saharan regions of Northern Africa.
We also haven’t been able to get confirmed sightings of the snake in Western Africa in countries such as Ghana, Sierra Leon and Nigeria. Again, this does not necessarily mean the snake can’t be found there, but we have not been able to verify their presence there.
The snake can however be found throughout much of the continent. They can be found from Ethiopia in the East right across to countries such as the Republic of Congo on the West Coast.
Their range then extends Southwards where they can be found in almost every country in the Southern portion of the continent.
The Egg Eater Snake is practically common in places such as South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe.
As expected from their large geographical distribution, these snakes thrive in a wide range of different habitats such as grassland, scrubland, woodland and urban areas.
However, they are not found in true deserts and also don’t live in very dense closed canopy forests.
They share some of their range with species such as the Savannah Monitor, the Armadillo Lizard, the Leopard Tortoise, the Sulcata Tortoise and the African Fire Skink.
Egg Eater Snake Behaviour
The Egg Eater Snake is a nocturnal species meaning it is primarily active during the night and will sleep during the daytime hours.
They are also a terrestrial species, spending most of their time on the ground. However, they are excellent climbers and will climb trees in search of eggs in birds’ nests.
These snakes can be very defensive and will often try bluffing techniques in an attempt to scare away potential threats.
This involves rubbing their rough keeled scales together to make a loud hissing sound. They will also ‘inflate themselves’ to try and look more intimidating.
This species is oviparous, meaning they give birth by laying eggs. They can lay one or two clutches a year.
Clutch sizes can vary greatly and can range from 6-25 eggs. Hatchlings are less than one foot in length when they emerge from the egg.